Canada's Samra becomes youngest-ever to score ton

New Zealand cruise into Super 8

February 18, 2026 00:00:00

Canada's Yuvraj Samra celebrates after scoring a century during the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match against New Zealand at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday-AFP

Canadian batter Yuvraj Samra created cricketing history on Tuesday as he became the youngest to score a century at the men's World Cup across the T20 and ODI formats. The 19-year-old Samra broke Paul Stirling's world record to achieve the massive feat, with his knock coming against New Zealand in a T20 World Cup2 026 Group D match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, report agencies.

Yuvraj Samra broke multiple records with his knock of 110 off 65 balls against New Zealand that included six sixes and 11 fours. Canada strolled to 173/4 on the back of Samra's explosive knock. While the Black Caps will reach the Super 8 by beating Canada, the North American country is still searching for its first victory in the T20 World Cup.

He became the first player from an associate nation to make a T20 World Cup century. The teenager, born in Brampton, Ontario, had brought up his hundred off 58 balls as he eclipsed the previous top score by an associate player - 94 not out by the USA's Aaron Jones against Canada at the last World Cup.

Even if they fail to beat New Zealand, Samra has made them proud. At the age of 19 years and 141 days, Samra became the youngest to score a century in a T20 World Cup. He broke the record of Pakistani batter Ahmed Shehzad.

This is also the highest individual score for an Associate Team in a T20 World Cup and the first century by an Associate Team player.

As mentioned earlier, Yuvraj is the youngest to score a hundred across men's ODI and T20 World Cups. The previous record was held by Stirling, who had made a century at the age of 20 years and 196 days against the Netherlands at the 2011 ODI World Cup. Stirling had broken Ricky Ponting's record, who had made a century in the 1996 World Cup at the age of just 21 years and 76 days. kInterestingly, Yuvraj Singh Samra gets his name from the popular former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. It was Yuvraj's father, Baljit Singh, who decided to name his son after the Indian cricketer, who once smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in a T20I.